Romanticismo Della Volpe
by Crimson Flame-Blue Rose
Summary: After the events of Terragrigia, Parker has resigned from the FBC and has turned to alcohol for comfort. Raymond comes to his aid, but can he convince him that there's still hope? ParkerxRaymond.


The helicopter landed on the ground along with other choppers that were stationed

haphazardly, the rough landing jolting the passengers ever so slightly.

Parker stepped down from the aircraft wearily, breathing a sigh of relief.

"Home sweet home…" Jessica murmured sadly before chancing a glance at the man.

Parker didn't respond to his partner's sentiment, worrying the young woman.

"Hey, Parker, are you alright?" Jessica cocked her head to the side as she placed her hand

on top of the Italian's broad shoulder, feeling the damp fabric under her fingers.

"Yeah…yeah, I'll be alright." Parker forced a small smile and nodded his head.

"You sure?" Jessica raised an eyebrow as she peered into his blue eyes.

"Yeah, I'm just a little tired." Parker gave another nod before walking off towards the

main building, running his hand through his long hair.

The sight before him was a disheartening one, seeing all the FBC agents and what

survivors they managed to rescue were scattered in every direction.

The sick and wounded were carted off to the medical unit to receive treatment while

others may have gone off to report to Commissioner Lansdale himself.

With all the movement going on around him, agents and survivors rushing past him, he

began to feel dizzy. The Italian stopped mid stride, unsure of where to go.

He merely stood there in the midst of disarray, watching and listening to the others

despair. He heard crying in some groups, while some others screamed in agony while

their wounds were being tended to. Parker sighed and craned his neck to look up at the

sky. _'What did any of us do to deserve this…?'_

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The ice clinked in the glass in what was only perceived as music to the Italian, releasing a

breath before tossing back his head to swallow the chilled drink. The events of

Terragrigia had occurred just three days ago, but it still felt fresh.

Parker couldn't bear to be in the FBC building one moment longer, it felt so…_staged_.

Of course, everyone was still shaken by the horrors of the forsaken city, but they were

also seemingly unaffected by the fact that the city was destroyed and so many civilians

were left behind. That was something that the man could never understand, how it was _so_

easy to look past the intended decimation of an entire populace.

He was there, he saw them all burn and crumble into nothingness…

Parker wondered if any of them felt pain, shuddering at the thought.

The FBC was a lie, they failed to protect innocent people. _He_ failed them.

Some of the cockier, or perhaps the more blissfully ignorant, of the agents thought that it

was a successful mission-albeit a costly one.

To come out at all, and with survivors in tow, was a blessing.

'_Sure…Keep telling yourselves that, boys.'_ Parker thought bitterly.

He knows that it was impossible to save everyone, but he felt that so many more could've

been spared the axe. _'Morgan, you fool….'_

Parker had tried his best to put on a brave face and continue working, but he just couldn't

live in that false, glorified reality anymore. After a heated argument at the office today,

he realized that it was his time to go, and he wasn't entirely saddened by that notion.

But now, he didn't know what to do with himself anymore.

What was his purpose now…?

Blue eyes flicked up at the tv screen as news coverage of the 'Terragrigia Panic' took

over the flurry of commercials, causing Parker to inwardly cringe and seethe.

Some painted up blonde reporter was walking along the coastline with the ruins of

Terragrigia in the distance, dramatically relaying the tragedy and the all too real threat of

bioterrorism. Parker scoffed at the watered down version of the story, sipping at his drink

once more. _'Like ants under a magnifying glass, that's how it was…'_

Looking away from the screen, Parker was surrounded by the familiar atmosphere of the

pub once again. His eyes felt heavy and his thought process was muddy, an annoyance to

most but a blessing to him. At least in this state of mind he won't have to remember…

He didn't have to feel anymore…

Now, he just wanted to sleep. _'I wonder if the tale of Rip Van Winkle is true…'_

Parker pulled on his leather jacket and paid for his drinks before walking out onto the

dark streets, his hands delving into his pockets.

It was a warm summer night, but he felt too lazy to shrug off his jacket.

The streets were lit by the gentle glow of the street lamps, giving the Italian a sense of

security. Then again, Parker didn't need to worry about being jumped, given his size.

But he didn't want to fight, not tonight, not ever again…

A man and a woman walked past him, holding each other lovingly.

How many sweet couples died that day?

Parker sighed as he realized that the alcohol was only enough to make him feel somewhat

hollow, it wasn't enough. Yet he still swayed as he walked, tripping over an occasional

crack in the sidewalk, a chuckle escaped past his lips.

He could get used to this…

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Raymond remained sitting at the table in the café, continuing to drink his coffee.

He really wasn't supposed to even be at work for another week or so, since the gash in

his leg was still healing. But the red haired man had always had soft, taut skin-which

made his wounds heal at a quicker rate than most people, a happily received gift.

Of course, the pain medication did miracles for both his leg and his mood…

At the most, Raymond was able to write reports and keep up to date with phone calls, but

he was quickly growing tired of the given tasks. Suddenly staying home didn't sound like

such a bad idea, at least he would have something better to occupy his time.

But in all honesty, he didn't want to remain at home all alone, not after what happened

back in Terragrigia. _'Has it really only been one week since then..?'_

Thinking back on that tragedy, he remembered what was lost.

But there was something to be gained in the incident as well…

Raymond will never forget the words that fell from the Commissioner's lips, spoken so

eerily calm. _'If Morgan was talking to the leader of Veltro, he might've been involved.'_

The redhead grew more and more suspicious of his boss, it only increased as the days

wore on, robbing him of sleep. However, Raymond was never called upon by Lansdale,

making him wonder if he ever posed a threat to his position.

If the Commissioner believed that Raymond did hear what he did and had suspicions of

his betrayal, he didn't seem to mind. That was what worried Raymond all the more.

A cold-blooded killer always revels in their handiwork, further inflating their ego.

Raymond always had to watch his back, making sure that he was never gunned down,

run over by a car or poisoned. _'Why am I still working here?'_ he mused.

He was at a loss of what to do, he just didn't know where to turn to for help.

His life might be at stake, and the truth about Terragrigia remained hidden…

"Man, that Jessica is something else." Raymond suddenly turned his head to watch as two

fellow agents walked into the café, thoughts of women obviously occupying their minds.

"Yeah, but she's pretty picky about who she dates.." the more toned one of the pair

sighed dejectedly. Raymond couldn't help but roll his eyes at their conversation.

The redhead was never fond of that so-called 'vixen', given that she was materialistic and

as shallow as they come. Raymond despised her all the more after the Terragrigia Panic,

witnessing Jessica's flirtatious side first hand.

There wasn't much to tell, really. Jessica fawned over him as his injured leg was getting

fixed up by the doctors once he arrived back to HQ, unsure if the sickening feeling was

roused from the pain in his leg or her lack of charm.

Upon remembering the woman also brought a certain Italian to mind…

Where was Parker?

"Lou, have you seen Parker lately?" Raymond suddenly called over to the next table.

The raven-haired man perked up at the sound of the stoic man's sudden break of silence.

"Agent Luciani? Nah, man, he hasn't been around all week." He replied with a sad smile.

"Yeah, he finally called it quits after a heated argument with one of the higher ups." The

muscled agent added, sipping from his coffee in thought.

This caught Raymond off guard, Parker had been with the FBC longer than him.

The Italian was all about putting others first, always preaching about life being precious.

"He's…gone? Why?" Raymond set his coffee cup down on the table as he stared at the

two men, trying his best to mask his surprise.

"Parker was buzzed, he walked into the Commissioner's office, yelling and demanding to

know why 'everyone had to die like that, they could've been saved' or something like

that. He's a good guy, I'm sad to see him go out like that…" Lou sighed.

"He was drunk? Parker never drinks on the job." Raymond furrowed his eyebrows.

"He did that day, came to work like that and reeked of booze. What was really bizarre

was Lansdale's reaction to it all, he was so calm…he even told Parker that if he wasn't

willing to accept it then he was free to leave."

"No one has seen him since?" Raymond leaned forward slightly, taking in the story.

"Actually, didn't Johnny say that he saw the big guy a few nights ago?" the brunette

rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Yeah, he said that he saw Parker coming out of a pub one

night, looked really plastered." Lou blinked before taking a bite out of his sandwich.

Raymond quieted down as he took in the information, a slight pain forming in his heart.

He hadn't known the other man for very long, but he did look up to him.

It just didn't sound like Parker to walk into work drunk, yell at his boss and quit.

"You okay, kid? You got quiet all the sudden." Lou peered at the redhead with concern.

"Yeah…I'm fine." Raymond gave a short nod before staring down into his coffee.

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Here he was, standing right outside his former superior's apartment.

It had been three days since his conversation with Lou, and he hasn't stopped thinking

about Parker ever since. Raymond looked down at his penmanship on a scrap piece of

paper, rereading the Italian man's address over and over-causing an uneasy feeling to

settle in his stomach. At first he was only taken aback by Parker's departure, but it then

grew to disbelief and then worry. The man was just lingering at the back of Raymond's

mind, until one night he found himself awake in bed and all he could think about was

Parker's wellbeing. He felt ridiculous for worrying about a man that was more than

perfectly capable of taking care of himself, but he couldn't help but wonder.

Unable to sit and dwell over his curiosity, Raymond went and got ahold of Parker's file

to find his address. It was against policy to look into an agent's file, but seeing as that

Parker had resigned it seemed alright to bend the rules a little bit-just this once.

Why should he worry about this man?

'…_He saved my life.'_ Raymond smiled at the memory.

It was true, the other man had gone out of his way to ensure the redhead's safety.

He could've been left behind, but Parker's sense of protection and stubbornness trumped

Raymond's selfless attempts to get Parker and Jessica to leave him behind to buy them

time to escape the Hunters.

Raymond now felt justified for this visit, it was to simply check on a fellow agent.

It wouldn't be much to repay the kind deed of rescuing him, but it was a start.

The red haired man walked into the building and used the elevator that would bring him

to the Italian's apartment, feeling even more bizarre than he did outside a moment ago.

What was this feeling…?

There was no need for him to be nervous, was there?

Well, Parker was a rather large man, but Raymond has been told that he'd never hurt a

fly. But it might've also been the thought of what Parker might be like while drunk,

would he have flown into a rage or a crying fit once he saw Raymond outside his door?

'Only one way to find out…'

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Raymond slowly let out a breath, pausing as he gave himself the chance to rethink his

decision. His hand seemed to move on it's own, knocking on the door.

Raymond slipped his hands into his pockets and glanced down the hallway out of

boredom, wondering if Parker was even home.

He jumped once he heard the door's lock turn, the door creaking open.

Parker looked disheveled, not terribly, but he's looked better.

His black button up shirt was unbuttoned at the neck, revealing toned muscle.

Part of the Italian's shirt was also untucked, hanging out messily in the back.

The man also wore wrinkled khaki slacks and the outfit was topped off with a pair of

socks on his feet. He still faintly smelled of his usual cologne, but he also smelled heavily

of alcohol. "…Parker?" Raymond spoke first, unsure of how to best approach the man.

Parker's eyes squinted at the redhead and an inaudible murmur reverberated from his

throat in uncertainty. "Oh..is that you, Raymond? What brings you here?" Parker smiled

sloppily at the other man as he leaned against the doorway.

"No one has heard from you in almost two weeks, I decided to come and check on you."

Raymond replied as he looked the man up and down, trying to gauge how drunk he was.

"Ah, is that so?" Parker raised an eyebrow, the smile never leaving his face.

"Are you alright?" Raymond asked pointedly, earning a mixture of a murmur and a purr

from the other man. "Of course! I feel..just fine." Parker nodded with a chuckle.

"Won't you come in?" Parker moved away from the doorway to allow Raymond inside.

Raymond raised an eyebrow in surprise at the gesture, unsure of how to answer.

"Come, I could use the company." Parker smiled, albeit with a hint of sadness to it.

"…Alright." Raymond finally answered before stepping into the apartment.

Parker locked the door and stumbled as he made his way towards the kitchen, grabbing a

bottle of beer from the fridge. "Something to drink, Raymond?" Parker drawled before

taking a sip. "No, thanks…" Raymond trailed off as he took in the condition of the

apartment, inwardly cringing at the mess. The apartment itself looked like it used to be

decently decorated, but was then neglected. Beer bottles were on the coffee table and

kitchen counters, clothes were strewn about the floor and hung off of chairs.

Raymond could only assume that Parker would eat, sleep and drink and repeat the

process. This was the complete opposite of his commanding officer's nature.

The man was keeping himself alive, but only to drink himself into a haze…

He jumped when the bottle was haphazardly placed on the counter once it was emptied,

Parker letting out a breath of relief after downing the contents.

"Nice of you to think of me, Raymond…truly…" Parker repressed a hiccup as he braced

himself on the counter, looking like a tiger about to pounce on its prey.

"I still owe you for saving me back then, I wanted to see if you were okay." Raymond's

eyes drifted down towards Parker's unbuttoned shirt, seeing his chest rise and fall in a

sensual rhythm. It took all he had to keep himself from staring for too long.

Parker let out a small laugh as he briefly looked down at the counter.

"Well, I don't know about that…but, I suppose you're welcome." Parker rubbed the back

of his head sheepishly. Raymond froze at the realization that Parker didn't remember

what Raymond had meant. _'Figures…'_

"Parker, why did you leave the FBC?" Raymond crossed his arms out of habit.

"nnnh?" Parker gave Raymond a confused look, shifting his weight.

"Your job, Parker…" Raymond sighed as he tried to simplify his question.

Parker's face seemed to slacken as the memory dawned on him, although it was brief.

"Not..a pleasant topic, boy…" Parker hiccuped.

"Why did you leave?" Raymond pushed the question more.

"They…don't care…about..hic, people…" Parker swayed a bit before grabbing onto the

counter once more for support. Raymond looked surprised that Parker even managed to

answer his question at all, stepping a bit closer to the counter that he stood by.

"They need you-" Raymond was cut off by Parker's sudden outburst, "They don't care

about anybody, boy! Don't you understand! We're all expendable, any one of us could

die tomorrow and they don't care…Ter..Terra-grigia..everyone is gone." Parker bowed

his head, gripping the counter tighter.

Raymond was stunned that Parker had raised his voice, nervous to continue speaking.

"…It's okay." Raymond tried to reassure the man. Parker lifted his head to look at the

younger man, entranced by his sharp gaze. _'Such beautiful eyes…'_

"Parker, we all did what we could, you know that." Raymond continued, his gaze

softening. "We..should've done more.." Parker murmured sadly.

"We were outnumbered, just like you said before, we didn't have much of a choice."

Parker growled in frustration as he waved Raymond off, moving towards the fridge.

"Stop drinking!" Raymond's voice raised an octave, causing Parker to freeze.

"Drinking won't solve anything, Parker, you've had enough!"

Parker stood there and simply stared at the young cadet, pondering what he said.

"You shouldn't frown, Volpe, it's bad for your complexion…" Parker murmured.

Raymond's breath hitched and a light blush crossed his face, at a loss of what to say.

"What's the matter, Raymond? Cat got your tongue?" Parker chuckled teasingly.

"Sh-Shut up!" Raymond's blush grew deeper in color, pursing his lips tightly in spite.

"And now you pout.." Parker swayed a bit as he walked towards Raymond.

Parker stumbled in his step and fell forward, only to be caught by Raymond.

The Italian lifted his head to look closely at Raymond's face before running his fingers in

his red hair, relishing the softness. "Ahh you look even better closer up, Volpe.." Parker

breathed, chuckling at the sight of Raymond's red cheeks.

Raymond's lips remained parted, bated breathing the only sound to pass through.

He rather enjoyed holding Parker like this, he was warm to the touch.

Not to mention the gentle fingers that ran through his hair, he felt relaxed, sleepy even.

"You like that, huh?" Parker smiled as Raymond's eyes grew heavy.

Parker then began to kiss Raymond's neck, sloppy at first, before resolving to biting.

"Nn!" Raymond grunted in surprise at the light nips around his throat.

The Italian then moved one hand down to grasp the redhead's ass, squeezing firmly.

A sharp breath passed Raymond's lips at the contact, running his fingers in Parker's soft

brown hair encouragingly. Parker growled lustfully at the acceptance of his advances,

biting down a bit harder at the nape of the redhead's neck before pulling away.

"This way." Parker pulled on Raymond's arm to lead him towards the bedroom.

Parker shoves Raymond onto the bed before climbing on top of him, kissing his neck and

grabbing the front of the redhead's pants. Raymond jumped in surprise at the touch,

groaning when Parker began to squeeze. Parker kissed Raymond fully on the mouth,

tongue circling his lips. Raymond opened his mouth to allow access, gasping when

Parker engulfed his mouth with his tongue. The Italian purred as he explored the

redhead's mouth, licking and sucking on the other man's tongue. Raymond failed to

suppress a whimper when Parker continued to fondle and kiss him, bucking into the burly

man's hand wantonly. "You like that?" Parker murmured after breaking the kiss.

"Yes.." Raymond mumbled, shifting his position on the bed.

Parker untied Raymond's striped tie before unbuttoning his shirt, latching his lips onto a

nipple and sucking on the sensitive flesh. Raymond helped by unfastening his belt and

kicking off his shoes. Parker stopped to help pull Raymond's pants past his hips and drop

them onto the floor, socks following suit. Raymond tossed his shirt onto the floor before

grabbing onto Parker's face and kissing him deeply, earning a purr from the other man.

Raymond quickly unbuttoned Parker's shirt and tossed it away before unzipping his

pants, helping him tug them off before casting it aside.

"On your hands and knees.." Parker mumbled, smirking when Raymond obeyed.

Parker grabs a bottle from his bedside table, squeezing the gel into his hand.

Being drunk, Parker didn't even bother to lather the lubricant inside of Raymond,

resolving to coat his member before tossing the bottle aside.

Raymond took notice of this and became weary. "Hey-nngh!" Raymond grunted when

Parker suddenly grabbed onto his hips and forced himself inside of the redhead.

"E-Easy, easy!" Raymond sputtered when Parker gained momentum, groaning loudly

when Parker stroked his cock. "Ah-hahh..hah.." Parker chuckled at the sounds that came

from the other man, grabbing a fistful of hair and yanking Raymond's head up slightly

before biting down on his neck. Raymond grunted when his hair was pulled, but it didn't

hurt all that much, surprisingly.

Raymond gripped the headboard tightly, keeping him and Parker upright.

A sharp intake of breath followed by a moan told Parker that he had found that place

within the redhead, smiling when Raymond bucked back into him to get more friction.

"Ahh! Hahh-ahh….!" Raymond continued to moan shamelessly as the man behind him

pounded harder into him, relishing the grunts that came from him.

"P-Parker..!" Raymond cried out desperately as he felt himself beginning to reach climax.

"Guhh..Come for me, Volpe…nnhh!" Parker grunted, his fingers digging into Raymond

hips. Raymond released a drawled groan before sinking forward to lean against the

headboard, panting as he tried to catch his breath.

Parker moaned as he received his release, leaning forward to kiss Raymond's shoulder.

Parker pulls out of Raymond and turns him so they face each other, caressing his cheek.

"Sorry if I was a bit too rough…" Parker apologizes as he brushes the red bangs away.

Raymond smiles at the gentle touch, kissing Parker's thumb when it brushes his lips.

"I know that you would never hurt anyone." Raymond murmured.

Parker returns the smile as he leans in for another kiss, holding the redhead close.

Raymond lies back against the bed, drained of his energy. Parker winks before pulling the

blankets over them and wraps his arms around the cadet, nuzzling him.

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Parker awoke the next morning to find Raymond getting dressed.

"You're leaving?" Parker rubbed at his eyes tiredly, sitting up in bed.

Raymond glanced at Parker as he fixed his tie, sitting down on the bed next to the man.

"I have to get back, sorry…" Raymond was at a loss of what to say after an unexpected

romp in bed. "I understand, you still have work to do." Parker smiled warmly, running

his fingers through Raymond's hair once more. "I'll miss you while you're gone, Volpe."

Parker murmured. "Parker, why do you keep calling me that?" Raymond placed his hand

over Parker's when it caressed his cheek. "Your hair reminds me of a fox, love, and

you're about as cunning as one too." Parker winked, causing Raymond to blush.

'_Well, I've been called stranger names…'_ Raymond mused.

"Parker, don't give up." Parker cocked his head in confusion. "You can't just give up

now, you've come so far. People are counting on you, you know." Raymond looked into

Parker's eyes as if his own eyes could relay his deepest thought to the other man.

'_You've done so much for so many people, Parker. Don't throw it all away..'_

Parker smiled and ruffled Raymond's hair, touched by his words.

"I'll be fine, cadet, go on now." He winked reassuringly.

Raymond melted at the affectionate name, almost preferring it over 'Volpe'.

The redhead got up and started to walk out the door, looking back at his lover.

"….I love you, Carne." Raymond quickly spoke before closing the door.

A few beats of silence as it sunk in and Parker suppressed a laugh.

'Now why would you call me 'Meat', Fox?'

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"Director O'Brian? It's Raymond Vester, with the FBC." Raymond stated to the BSAA

leader, trying his best to keep his heart at an even pace. After that night with Parker, he

finally got the idea of contacting O'Brian of the BSAA, the only other entity that fought

against bioterrorism. If anyone could help, it would be him.

"Raymond? Ah right, I remember seeing you back in Terragrigia. How's the leg?"

Raymond faintly smiled at the other man's friendliness, a fresh take on everything

compared to Lansdale's command. "It's better, sir, thanks. But I wanted to talk to you

about Commissioner Lansdale…" he started off wearily.

"Morgan? What about him?"

"I…I think he might have played a part in the Terragrigia Panic, helped Veltro to be more

precise." Raymond continued as his fingers clenched his cell phone.

"And why do you think that?"

"I heard him talking on the phone, some of the things he said implicates him in the

incident." Raymond glanced around the room, paranoia taking hold.

"…What did he say?"

Raymond relayed what he had overheard the Commissioner say over the phone.

"I see…and you're sure that Morgan honestly played a part in this?" O'Brian's voice had

changed from friendly to weary in just a short time, understandably.

"Yes, that's exactly everything he said over the phone call, I'm sure of it." Raymond felt

better after finally being able to talk to someone about what he knew, having kept it a

secret for so long. A secret that could very well get him killed…

"If you're really sure that he's involved with what happened in Terragrigia, then we're

going to need proof to nail him." O'Brian stated firmly. "Where do we start?"

"Veltro's base of operations was The Queen Dido, right?" O'Brian recalled.

"Yes, but the ship was destroyed. Its self-destruct sequence went into effect." Raymond

replied with a hint of disappointment. "But it's rumored that there was more than one

ship. So if we can find them, we might find evidence linking Lansdale with Veltro."

"Good, that's a start." O'Brian sighed.

"Although, there hasn't been any recent reports of Veltro, it's strange…" Raymond

thought back and realized that there hadn't been any mentioning of the terrorists since

that day. "You're right, it's as if they fell off the planet. It has me worried as well.."

"Well, let's just start with this first, then we'll go on from there."

"Oh, one more thing, sir."

"Yes, what is it?"

"I have a favor to ask…"

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"Hello?" Parker answered the phone, acting polite despite having his dinner interrupted.

"Parker Luciani? This is O'Brian of the BSAA." A voice stated calmly.

"Ah O'Brian, we had a brief meeting back in Terragrigia, how are you sir?"

"I'm good, how about you?" "I'm alright, I'm surprised that you're calling me of all

people, what's the occasion?" Parker smiled.

"I got an anonymous recommendation, recommending you for the BSAA, interested?"

"T-The BSAA, sir?" Parker was taken aback by the offer, having thought that his

anti-bioterrorism days were over. "Yes, I've heard that you're one hell of a fighter, you'd

make a great field agent." O'Brian mused.

"I'm flattered, sir. But…" Parker took a moment to think, frowning thoughtfully.

'_Don't give up, Parker…'_ Parker's heart ached at the memory of his one-time lover,

never fully able to get in touch with the cadet.

"Sir, I'd be honored to join you." Parker stated proudly.

"That's what I'd like to hear, glad to have you aboard." O'Brian chuckled.

"When should I start?" Parker rubbed the back of his head.

"You and Sherawot can be brought up to speed Thursday."

"Wait, Sherawot?" Parker froze as he heard the familiar name. It couldn't be…

"Yes, Jessica Sherawot, your former partner right? She volunteered to join as well."

"Huh, well alright, it should be interesting." Parker decided to leave the past in the past,

knowing that this was a fresh start for him, and for Jessica too apparently.

"Good, see you Thursday." O'Brian answered with enthusiasm.

Parker hung up the phone and sat back down, running his hand through his hair.

First it was Terragrigia, then he lost his job, he made love to a young recruit and now he's

joining the BSAA along with his former partner?

'Heh, life is just full of surprises…'

Parker was flattered, perhaps even grateful, to have a fresh start in a new organization.

He would be in the field more, more hands-on and help people-he would actually get to

make a difference, something that just wasn't possible in the FBC.

The Italian only hoped that joining the BSAA would redeem him for his failure in the

FBC, he would make up for the loss of so many lives…

'_You won't need to worry about me anymore, Raymond, I'll make you proud.'_

(end)

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Well, this story ran on a little bit longer than I had originally planned, ah well.

In the bonus DVD (was only released in Japan, but there's Youtube videos)

'Jessica's Report' it was mentioned that Parker had become an alcoholic for a short while

after the events of Terragrigia and I had wondered what that might have been like,

considering that Parker is a rather friendly and optimistic man. I didn't think he was the

type to get into bar fights though, maybe he's more of a deep thinker. (or jolly?)

I'll admit that the phone conversations between Parker and Raymond with O'Brian is

strange, if not poorly executed, but I now realize how difficult writing phone

conversations can be-that's something I'll need to work on in future stories!

By the way, Alex, I got your request for a ChrisxRaymond story and I'll probably write

that sometime later on-I've got some other projects coming up, but I hope you'll like it!

Speaking of projects, I do have a big surprise for you all…but you'll need to wait a few

days before I post it. (this story has really exhausted me, I need time to recharge!)

No worries, it _is_ another ParkerxRaymond story-I hope you'll give it a read.

I really do appreciate all your support, reviews and requests-it means a lot!

Lin


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